Prepare samples for a cartoning-machine trial
Representative samples reduce uncertainty only when their identity, condition and test purpose are controlled. A trial should answer a defined handling or acceptance question rather than simply show a machine running.
Which samples are needed for a cartoning-machine trial?
Provide the complete production-intent pack: filled bottles where practical, final closures, labels or decoration, unopened flat carton blanks, leaflets or inserts, dividers and examples of the accepted finished carton.
Include drawings and specifications for each component and identify the revision. If several formats are in scope, separate launch formats from possible future formats. Development samples should be labelled clearly so trial conclusions are not mistaken for approval of the final pack.
Should bottles be filled for a cartoner trial?
Use bottles in the condition expected at the cartoner whenever the fill changes weight, centre of gravity, rigidity, surface condition or product movement.
An empty bottle may stand differently, compress more easily or fail to reproduce liquid movement. If the actual product cannot be supplied, agree a safe representative fill and document the difference. Closures should be fitted and locked in the production condition, and labels should represent the final surface and position.
How many bottles and carton blanks are needed for a useful trial?
There is no universal quantity. The supplier should state the amount needed to set up the machine, repeat the critical handling sequence, challenge faults and produce enough evidence for the agreed decision.
A few hand-selected samples may show geometry but cannot represent batch variation or sustained running. Allow for setup loss, rejected materials, repeated stop and restart tests, and retention samples. Send additional batches when board, print, label or closure variation is an identified risk.
What evidence should a cartoning trial produce?
A useful trial should produce a traceable record of the samples, machine concept, settings or tooling used, observed behaviour, faults, accepted packs, limitations and the decisions that remain open.
Photographs or video can support the record, but they should be linked to sample revisions and test conditions. Record whether the trial confirms machine selection, identifies a pack change, requires further testing or only demonstrates a preliminary concept.
| Record | What to capture |
|---|---|
| Component identity | Part name, drawing or dieline revision, supplier and production/development status |
| Condition | Fill, closure, label, storage, damage and any deliberate challenge variation |
| Test objective | Handling question, required decision and accepted result |
| Observed result | Successful sequence, failure mode, frequency and relevant machine state |
| Next action | Approved, revise pack, revise machine concept, repeat trial or hold open |
Tell us which handling question the samples must answer
Send the component list, revisions, photographs, drawings and intended decision so Lancing can confirm the safest sample set and trial scope before materials are dispatched.